More Than Maybe - Erin Hahn Page 0,32

seat of her mum’s car and fall asleep forever.

“I was serious about the job. I mean, I have to check with Phil, but we talked about hiring someone to replace me at the bar. Plus, Kazi has been working more and more at Whole Paycheck.”

I snort. “Whole Paycheck?”

“Oh, you know where.”

“I do.” I let my head roll to the side and take in Vada’s profile. Her auburn hair looks black in the dark. “If Phil wants me, I’ll take it.”

“Really? That’s fantastic. You did great tonight. I was suffocating, but you really saved the day with that water stuff.”

I shrug, but I’m pleased. “Who would have thought a lifetime of Charlie could prepare me for a career in anything useful?”

“Seriously,” she agrees.

I direct her into my drive, and the motion light clicks on. “Thank you again and again, Luke. You’re my hero. Oh!” She goes to remove the mittens.

“Keep them. For tonight,” I say. “I’ll get them from you next time I see you.”

“Thank you.”

“Good night, Vada.”

“Night, Luke.”

She waits for me to get inside, and I wave her away, locking the door behind me. I creep upstairs to my room and fall into bed without bothering to brush my teeth. My phone lights up with a text, and I almost drop it in my haste to pick it up.

VADA

Made it home. Thanks again!

LUKE

Happy to do it.

VADA

YouTube: Awolnation “Handyman”

* * *

“How is it that you’re so freakishly strong? Were you bitten by a radioactive spider as a child?”

I groan out a breath, pressing the bar up from the center of my chest, and look up Zack’s nose. I readjust my grip, and he holds the bar until I nod and lower it again for five more reps. With a final exhale, the bar clinks back into place, and I slowly rise to sitting, wiping my hands on my basketball shorts. Zack hands me one of the gym towels and gives me a look like I’m some ill-mannered plebian. Whenever we have a day off school, Zack and I hit up the gym, using his dad’s day passes. The equipment is way better than the stuff in our school’s basement, and there’s a hot tub.

I wipe my face with the towel. “Cull got the perfect eyesight and straight teeth. I got braces, contacts, and a pull-up bar.”

“He does have nice teeth, doesn’t he?”

“Your turn,” I say.

Zack lowers himself onto the bench, and I stand over him, spotting. He starts off strong, and I check his form in the mirror. He’s arching his back. Lifting more weight, out to prove something. The next rep, when he shoves the bar up, I grab it from him.

“Hey!”

“Hey, yourself.” I remove five pounds from each side.

He narrows his eyes but doesn’t argue. This time, his back stays flat. I catch someone familiar in the mirror and curse.

“Who?” Zack asks under his breath.

“Karly Lawton, six o’clock.”

“The podcast groupie?”

I nod. I met Karly last month at a StarBust show we were promoting for the Loud Lizard, and she’s since showed up at two other places. By “accident.”

Zack shakes his head with a low chuckle. “For someone who doesn’t like the limelight, you sure do attract a lot of attention.”

“Maybe she’s coming for you.”

Zack looks down at his rainbow-striped knee socks.

“Hey, Luke! I thought that was you!” Karly is all sunshine and sweetness, but I just can’t today.

“Heeeeey, Karly.”

“What is this, like the third time this month? What are the odds? Do you work out here?”

“Ah, not often, no.”

Karly beams. “Well, then, this is fate.”

Zack stands and extends a hand. “More like teachers’ in-service day. I’m Zack, Luke’s best—”

“Man. He’s … my man.” I finish, feeling hot. He’s gonna murder me. And then Cullen will murder me. And make fun of me forever. “This is Karly. She’s a, um, loyal listener.”

“I thought Cullen was dating Zack,” Karly says. Because she is, in fact, a loyal listener and my brother has mentioned Zack in every conversation we’ve had for two years.

“He is,” I say, wincing. “Sorry, I don’t know why I said it like that. Zack’s my best friend. And you have an excellent memory.”

Zack raises a brow and opens his mouth, but Karly interrupts. “Oh my gosh, were you pretending you were gay?”

“Er…”

Karly’s face flushes a bright red. “Wow. That’s … that’s super humiliating. I was only saying hi, Luke. Don’t flatter yourself.” Karly spins on her heel and marches back across the gym to where a few other girls are looking at us strangely, and I turn to